JRE MMA Show #172 with Gable Steveson
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Joe Rogan notes Gable Steveson was named after Dan Gable and won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling, calling it prophetic. Gable's mom chose the name after hearing 'Gable' repeatedly at a tournament in Iowa with his older brother; she liked Cael Sanderson but settled on Gable Dan. Dan Gable was a huge figure in Midwest wrestling. Gable says his timeline mirrors Dan Gable's except for MMA, which he wishes Dan had done—Dan would have been amazing, though MMA wasn't around then, maybe bare knuckle or street fights.
Joe laments no real professional outlet for actual wrestling. Gable agrees and mentions RAF (American Freestyle Wrestling) as a promising new league trying to create matchups, drafts, and big stars like in fighting. Wrestling needs this to grow big. MMA is huge now, associating wrestling with MMA or pro wrestling. Joe compares to soccer: huge worldwide but not in America due to saturated sports market.
Soccer players like Ronaldo earn $500 million, get $1 million per goal, doing bicycle kicks. In America, LeBron James is the biggest athlete but lacks 'wow factor' compared to soccer stars in Italy or Spain. Overseas countries have fewer sports (Italy: soccer, boxing, some basketball). America struggles to create wrestling's big star.
Joe says wrestling is exciting, easy to understand. Gable agrees most get it, though points system can be learned. Joe wrestled one year in high school alongside taekwondo, was pretty good at taekwondo. Gable suggests Joe try wrestling given his athleticism; Joe would figure it out, especially flexibility—anyone can get flexible by stretching. Flexibility takes work, might compromise stability, but Yoel Romero is extremely flexible, explosive at 48 (allegedly, from Cuba, real age unknown, maybe 35), made Pat Downey look like a beginner with 48 blast doubles like 2004 Olympics.
Yoel looks solid in singlet, has six-pack, does dirty boxing, still fights MMA past athletic prime. Started UFC around 35. Dominant in Olympics positions. Real freak athletes go to football/basketball for money, rare in MMA but shine. Olympic gold requires everything: freak athleticism, dedication, discipline, tools, fortitude.
Wrestling best base for MMA: dictate fight location, learn everything else. Mental toughness, grinding practices, conditioning above all sports. Current UFC dominators (e.g., Islam, Hamzat) prioritize wrestling base adapted to MMA: right shots, finishes, foot trips on cage, escaping guillotines. Show threat so opponents fear wrestling, then hands. Gable wrestled whole life, won Olympics/multiple nationals, now focuses on earning respect for both.
Gable from Portage, Indiana, moved to Apple Valley, Minnesota at 11. Met Billy Simon (Prior Lake, regional MMA fighter) in college at 21, started hitting pads (stiff initially). Now 25, so 4 years total, seriously striking 7 months after deciding MMA over wrestling. His dirty boxing match shows athletic body control transfers skills quickly. Key: be all ears, soak up knowledge, show up 2-3x/day. Elite athletes must be coachable, trust coaches, put heart into group.
Elite wrestler, considered football. Never played until Buffalo Bills tryout post-WWE at 20 (now 24). Mom scared of football, high school coaches couldn't convince her. First time: no cleats, pads, tights experience. Sprinted hard, showed effort; Sean McDermott, Brandon Beane gave chance. Football complex: playbook, read guards/centers/snaps/helmet vision issues. First game: 1 tackle, 1 QB rush.
Last cut from Bills, planned practice squad but asked to go home, return to college wrestling. Sat month, Baltimore Ravens called for tryout—dominated 10 minutes, passed physicals, but injury report needed immediate DT/LB, he needed 6 weeks practice squad. Sent home, promised return in week but saw writing on wall. Indianapolis Colts called needing run stopper post-bad game; tryout went well but not signed. Returned to wrestling. MMA in back of head since Olympics, tried other things first before all-in.
Mom freaked more than wrestling (couldn't watch wrestling). Now comes to fights, has drinks in back, doesn't watch—John retrieves her post-fight. Nervous/sweating, Gable gives 'look' if serious trouble.
One televised WWE match, great experience: TKO, Triple H, Paul Levesque, Stephanie, Vince all great. Left due to competitive drive, couldn't 100% both wrestling and pro wrestling. No hard feelings, might return post-UFC heavyweight dominance.
Post-NCAA's, flew to Miami, told Jon Jones and others he wants to fight. Knew Jon via Instagram DM pre-Jones' first Dips fight injury; Jon wanted wrestling partner. Hit it off training together. Jon engraved drive: unbeatable, superstar walk/talk/punch/pocket. Seeing Jon (peak when Gable was 12-13, beating Gus, Shogun, Thiago Santos) flipped switch to pursue MMA.
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Jones' close fights (e.g., Gustafsson) because he wasn't training, partying, playing with food. Greg Jackson confirmed barely showed for first Gustafsson. Gutted out win despite no conditioning. Second fight: blew him out in prime form—GOAT, two-division champ. Amazing for young Gable to train with him pre-MMA experience. > "it's amazing because you don't"
Gable Steveson had no MMA training before joining Jon Jones' camp, only minimal striking experience. He didn't know how to defend punches or kicks. Despite this, he eagerly shot on Jones, a national championship wrestler, forgetting Jones' wrestling pedigree. Steveson emphasized hunger for opportunity, saying kids should approach chances with that drive because someone will respect it.
Joe Rogan noted few get such opportunities, especially with Jones, an elite wrestler integrating wrestling into MMA. Steveson called it super incredible, grateful daily, with Jones still in his corner providing pointers on fighting, life, business, meeting, and greeting people.
In camp, Steveson had a slight interest in MMA beforehand. The turning point was attending Madison Square Garden with Jones, seeing him as a superstar. Despite his Olympic gold, Steveson wanted similar recognition. Jones showed him opportunities, saying, "You can have this, too." This was the cherry on top, amplified when Jones won and Steveson held the belt, witnessing backstage stardom—pictures with superstars, selfies with Queen Latifah, seeing Fat Joe.
Steveson realized fighting's one-on-one appeal draws people to meet the champ, unlike team sports with helmets and jerseys.
Jones avoids short-notice fights, game-plans opponents, studies tendencies, with exceptional fight IQ. Rogan compared it to a Ferrari with premium gas versus 87 octane. Jones sends Steveson Instagram videos analyzing top UFC fighters' steps and punch resets, instilling these observations.
In wrestling, Steveson never watched opponents' film, even at Olympics, avoiding focus on defense over offense. He demanded to wrestle only his opponents, mindset of do or die. Jones is restoring that mindset.
Rogan praised Steveson's debut MMA fight: left hook knockout into takedown. Texted Dana White, "Everyone's fucked," due to speed plus elite wrestling at heavyweight. Division shallow: Tom Aspinall, Ciryl Gane, Jon Jones (if fighting), Francis (if returning). Only 4-5 championship caliber; Steveson already there pre-UFC. Speed bananas for 250lb, 25 years old. Heavyweight champ baddest on planet; currently tossup post-Gane-Aspinall, Jones semi-retired.
Steveson wants Jones for one more fight, main event White House, himself slots behind, both winning. Rogan suggests Jones vs. Alex Pereira heavyweight BMF: baddest light heavyweight vs. baddest heavyweight. Belt irrelevant for Jones; it's about the fighter.
Anecdote: Steveson's French bulldog died pre-Jones-Stipe camp. Jones let him go home. Returned Tuesday, saw Jones Thursday (week before fight), sick, did 5 rounds shark baited by 5 new high-level opponents (PFL, ex-UFC, ex-Glory kickboxers). Untouchable, mopping floor. Steveson begged to spar; Jones refused due to Steveson's defense gaps. Partner hurt; Greg Jackson denied Steveson. Epitome of greatness: hard workers who dominate.
Rogan: Jones developed perfect spinning back kick at 36 vs. Stipe (heel into rib cage). Constant training for one-shot heavyweight killer. Few develop new skills late-career.
Jones practiced spinning back kick midnight hotel lobby pre-Stipe, planned takedown then showstopper. Worked with New Mexico Jackson Wink kickboxing/taekwondo coach Alex (long last name, Thai wife, tattoos, hard kicker).
Rogan compared to Vitor Belfort developing wheel kick at 35-36 vs. Luke Rockhold.
Sitting cage-side thrilling seeing fighters evolve, new moves like spinning back kicks. Steveson loves excellence, shining through work (e.g., Petr Yan rematch dominance over Merab Dvalishvili after first loss: fake hook to liver kick, judo throws, trips, flow state, high guard, hard to hit clean except Sean O'Malley's knee).
Yan 32, UFC since mid-20s. Without first Merab loss, path unclear; lost to O'Malley, Aljamain Sterling (second fight dominant by Sterling's wrestling/back control/RNC). Sterling struggled at 135 but peaked in that camp. Not every fighter sustains Merab's 4-fight/year pace; 2-3/year more sustainable (Alex Pereira example, short notice, broken toes, neuroma, fucked hand vs. Ankalaev first, smoked second healthy).
Pereira vs. elite wrestler like Islam Makhachev at light heavyweight/heavyweight: problem, less now than early (taken down by Jiri Prochazka first UFC fight). Levels differ (e.g., Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam). Yan prepared for Merab post-first fight, Sanhagen, Sugan sub rematch.
No super elite grappler at light heavyweight; reason Hamzat Chimaev considering move up. Steveson fan of Hamzat's intensity, wrestling hammer dominance. Hamzat overtrained/COVID, vomited blood refusing gym rest. Now Sam Calavitta monitors heart rate, recovery, S&C scientifically (Dricus du Plessis fight: no gas).
Islam elite standup over Khabib (head kick KO Volkanovski). Huge for 155, knockout/submission/takedown threat alters striking (e.g., Kevin Randleman KO'd Cro Cop who worried takedown; Randleman 3x Big Ten champ Ohio State heavyweight, never NCAA tournament win).
Early UFC/Pride allowed shoes (Hughes vs. smaller opponent reference).
Joe recalls first UFC video: big Matt Hughes vs. smaller opponent who knocked him out, but confuses details. Discussion shifts to Emanuel Yarborough (sumo wrestler) vs. Keith Hackney (Kempo stylist). Hackney palm-slapped Yarborough with an overhand slap, knocking him down despite size difference. Yarborough fought in Pride, once flew out of unlocked cage. Lost to Mark Rylander from Iowa. Old UFC days were wild.
Advantage of wrestling shoes: superior grip on the ground.
Joe watched Fear Factor with his kids on True TV or Spike TV. Found contestants' challenges hilarious. Eating challenges mostly mental; some disgusting. Joe ate Madagascar hissing cockroach (size of lighter)—crunchy, little flavor, more mental. Worst was watching contestants vomit daily; smell initially triggering but normalized. Coached them: "Don't worry, keep going. You're in control. Force yourself to chew, swallow."
Holding breath underwater hard. Helicopter jump: swim and grab item while propellers blow water. Bull riding terrified Joe—stunt men called it "practice bull," but bull doesn't know. Huge animal; 100-pound lady riding risky. Got lucky no serious injuries. Bulls unpredictable vs. controlled car stunts.
Bull riding hard even for pros—good ones last seven seconds. Pro bull rider on show had destroyed shoulder: pops out of socket constantly, scars everywhere, hanging by thread. Bull riders end careers with fused discs, bolts in back, stiff spines. Fascinating facing "the devil," but bull always wins; no one stays on indefinitely.
Ezekiel Mitchell example: 2000 lb bull athletic, near handspring with rider. Easy to get stomped—head pulverized. Wonder force of bull stomp (velocity x mass).
Gable: Three kickboxing fights scariest besides fighting. No bungee jumping beyond vacation, ziplining felt stupid. At 255 lbs, ziplined in Thailand—thought line might snap. Bungee comp rejected 200 lb person. Wingsuit jumpers sometimes fail. Friend Andy (Navy SEAL) held wingsuit record: 18 miles one flight.
Safest thrill: wake surfing with life jacket. Skydiving has checked equipment; bulls have no safeguards (vest, helmet insufficient). Donald Cerrone rides bulls (fits "Cowboy" name), has adrenaline problem. Story: trapped in cloudy cave dive, cords tangled, partner panicked—terrifying.
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Gable not nervous wrestling (anxious to perform). First fight: heart pounding at bell—"me or you, do or die." Coach John calmed him: "Rely on what you know, wrestled bigger crowds." Legs shaky initially. Dirty Boxing: wanted to kill opponent, prove striking without wrestling (handicapped self). Showed casual fans what's special beyond wrestling. Leapt over ring post-knockout, did Arthur Jones sack dance. Looked like skilled boxer despite minimal experience.
Gable's high self-confidence, WWE-style (John Cena "You can't see me," Roman Reigns "Acknowledge me"). Actions speak: bigger-than-life in competition, relatable human otherwise. Shows families/kids he's real.
"That's the worst I'll ever be." (Gable on striking—14 seconds knockout; will only improve. Dirty Boxing weakest MMA phase.)
Trains all striking: boxing rounds, kicks/Thai (knees, elbows), blueprint entries (fake shoot-punch). 10-12 rounds, 5 min each. Incorporates MMA skills together. Contrast Ilia Topuria: isolates skills (pure boxing, jiu-jitsu, wrestling) off-season, hones individually before MMA integration.
MMA lacks unified path like soccer; varies by person/team (Alex Pereira, Merab). Gable absorbs all info early, showcases in short fights (ended early positively). Trains hours with John till midnight—feels purposeful, beats global competition (e.g., Russia).
Heavyweight shallow; elite Russian wrestlers may enter MMA (Fedor route). Nemkov won PFL. Russians not elite heavyweight wrestlers. Abdulrashid Sadulaev crazy—if heavyweight, goes through Gable. Iranian heavyweights strong: two battle Olympic spot yearly (25yo Gable's age, 22yo rising).
Some wrestlers love striking, rarely wrestle in MMA (Josh Koscheck example—knocked out standouts). Gable loves wrestling, eyes 2028 Olympics gold, but MMA path now. Knocking out via left hook gave "Spider-Man superpowers" feeling—obsessive, but wrestling base untapped yet. Second-best (striking) already elite; improving.
If you can get that good at wrestling, you can get that good at anything. It's just a matter of putting in the time and dedicating yourself to that thing. The mindset that allows someone to become an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling is key. That person is scary—if they decide to focus on something like pickleball, they'll be elite at it. It's 100% a mindset thing. You can have athletic ability, work hard, and be disciplined, but if your mind doesn't believe it, you won't succeed. That's why Gable beat a lot of people before even walking out—he knew it. You just have to know and feel it. Some people have a shit mindset and don't feel it.
"I don't want to fuck with anybody anymore that needs a mental coach." It's too much. Some guys need it and it takes them over the top, fixing past mental hiccups. Others have no problems—they go in thinking they're going to dominate, learn from losses, and come back stronger. Gable is that person: he wants to dominate and thinks people rely too much on outside things like mental coaches, breathwork coaches, or other labels instead of flipping the switch and saying, "Hey, we're here."
At Minnesota, Gable had only Brandon Eggum, Luke Becker, and Trevor Bramble. He didn't want anyone else interfering with their connection. Too many people mix up bonds, distract from practice with mind work or other tasks. Better to be productive for the team than for eight people, some of whom don't care as much.
Gable trains in Minneapolis right now, expecting a baby girl this Sunday—his lady might get induced. Main training at Jackson Wink in New Mexico. In Minneapolis, he trains with Billy Simon in a little gym nobody sees. He prefers no big lights. Growing up in Portage, Indiana, he wrestled brothers on a mat in the garage—hand fighting until someone came out. His dad's Iowa style wrestling was brutal: run opponent's face into the wall first or yours gets run in.
He trains religiously to develop skills constantly, never stopping. As a thicker body, he feels fat if he sits, so he stays in shape for short-notice if needed (though he avoids it, like with John). No short notice—take time to peak.
Alexander Volkanovski took Islam Makhachev rematch on 11 days notice after hanging around, drinking, partying. First fight was razor-thin decision loss—he couldn't do better without a camp. Jon Jones turned down Chael Sonnen short notice: "I'm a professional world champion. I prepare for opponents." Smartest way. Alex Pereira takes short-notice fights, wins some, but fought injured—like first Jiri Prochazka fight with fucked-up knee (rolled off after stoppage because couldn't support weight). Only sport without IR—do it or say no, and they get upset. Gable's mindset shifting with daughter coming: be father figure, say no firmly but cool.
Lifts with University of Minnesota wrestling team: same strength coach. Bike sprints, Airdyne sprints, VersaClimbers, rowers—mix to stay active. Longer breaks near fight to keep heart rate up consistently for high baseline. No putting on weight—stays at 250. Band work, explosive jumps, light weights high reps for cutness and strength without stiffness. Naturally large; Francis at 265 natural, cut to make 265 heavyweight.
Crazy UFC has 265 limit—heavyweights cut to make heavyweight. Should be no weight limit or more classes. Gaps enormous, like 185-205 (20 lbs). 10 lbs better. Boxing has shitload of classes, 8 champions per weight. MMA has interim, PFL champs, but public sees only UFC champion as real (e.g., Vadim Nemkov excellent but unknown in America—kid knows IShowSpeed, Alex Pereira, Islam Makhachev). UFC title most prestigious. PFL million-dollar tournament great for living/retiring, but to be best, must be in UFC.
UFC belt on ESPN means everything; others like IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC diluted. Terence Crawford stripped for unpaid fees ($300,000, 3% purse) after beating Canelo Alvarez—ridiculous. He went 147 to 168, one fight at 154. Dethroned over fee despite earning $50 million. Deserves $100 million for Canelo rematch per Bernie Davis.
Zuffa (UFC/Saudis) launching boxing event January 23 night before UFC on Paramount—no card announced. Like Riyadh Season: big money (Turki Alalshikh) makes stars, gets avoided fights. Saudis own Ring Magazine—most prestigious belt (e.g., Marvin Hagler). Boxing needs one unified champ, not five colorful belts.
Boxing has disrespectful journalists (e.g., Crawford-Canello called "tactical low-action" disappointing—casual take). MMA more respectful/standard. Crawford one of greatest, best switch-hitter ever. Hard to put above Floyd—prime matchup amazing. Floyd vs. Mike Tyson rumored, but looks like sparring (Mike vs. Roy/Logan vibe).
Mike Tyson in prime: speed of lighter fighter in heavyweight frame—extraordinary. Guys overloaded calculating. Every show execution. Huge events: Will Smith, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan attended. Pre-social media wow factor—Michael Jackson at hotel. Event to be seen at, ringside elite.
Mike different than any since Ali. Larry Holmes fantastic but shadowed by Ali—hated for beating older Ali (his ex-sparring partner). Tough: burn bridge with society. But as champ, had to fight for $10 million PPV hype—no choice.
Larry Holmes dished out a lot of punishment and doesn't get the credit he deserves. He had one of the greatest jabs in boxing history. Even past his prime against Mike Tyson, after being out for a long time, there was a round where Holmes popped that jab, making people wonder what the fight would have been like in his prime. Mike Tyson was on another level—a speedy tank with veins popping, peekaboo style that was hard to prepare for. Most heavyweights stood straight up throwing jabs and moving like George Foreman or Ken Norton, but Ali moved like a lighter guy. Tyson crouched, bobbed, and weaved, totally different.
You can't prepare for extreme athleticism like Myles Garrett, predicted for 25 sacks this year. There are always athletic freaks. Now high school football players are 6'5", 280 lbs going to Ohio State. People are bigger, training kids early with strength and conditioning, plyometrics to optimize growth. Vasyl Lomachenko's dad took him out of boxing for two years to learn Ukrainian dance for better footwork—he danced on people. Usyk has the same coach, constantly moving, never standing in front, downloading and calculating movements. Skillful footwork standing right in front, stepping off angles—ridiculously difficult without peak leg conditioning.
Elite Fighters Setting the Bar
So many guys to learn from. Difference between Keith Hackney vs. Emmanuel Yarborough in 1993 and Jon Jones in 2025. Young kids see elite like Poatan, Ilia Topuria, Islam Makhachev, incorporate it. Contender Series fighters look world championship caliber pre-UFC, especially lighter weights. Heavyweight division still shallow—where Gable Steveson comes in.
Gable believes he can dominate and revitalize heavyweight like Mike Tyson. Jon Jones is a superstar but semi-retired. Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane was a disaster—Aspinall's right eye still messed up, tendon damage, multiple eye surgeries ahead plus neck surgery mid-January. Might not fight again. Michael Bisping fought 11 UFC fights blind in one eye by memorizing the eye chart to pass exams.
Gable on Aspinall and Eye Pokes
Gable stays middle ground: Aspinall and Gane are fantastic. Heavyweight shallow, he can dominate. Aspinall reminds him of Taha Akgul, 2016 Olympic champ, 6'4", same build—Gable beat him 8-0 in Olympics, stayed in his face six minutes, changed tides. Hopes to do the same to Aspinall.
Aspinall's left eye poked deeper than right. People doubt eye pokes since some continue fighting, but it's a foul—suggest instant one or two point deduction. Perera fights with fist up, not extended fingers, guiding and protected. Ciryl Gane habitually pokes eyes, did it five times vs. Aspinall, fingers outstretched toward face every advance. Fist should be balled moving toward opponent's face.
MMA Glove Reform
Propose mitten-like gloves covering finger tips with thin leather over knuckles, thumb out. Wouldn't hinder grappling (clinch fist-closed), reduce eye pokes drastically, maybe aid grappling with wrist control. Sport around since 1993, no such glove introduced.
For newcomers bridging sport popularity and real self: fame is a rocket ride—mobbed at airports, no mall trips, need private time or lose yourself. Fame complicated, especially for fighters whose identity ties to perceptions. Feels good on top, but stumbling (even eye poke) leads to moron opinions tanking self-esteem. Pressures: scams, bad deals, movies derail training like Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor.
Staying Grounded
UFC's Countdown/Embedded shows real person: family, training, weight cut, joking—helps relatability. People want behind-the-curtain view, especially if good/interesting—inspires "regular guy" greatness. Protect against leeches by seeking surpassed mentors like Jon Jones.
Jones won title at 23 vs. Mauricio Shogun Rua (Pride legend), opened with flying knee—wildness key to GOAT status despite stumbles, partying. Jones guides Gable on business, opens doors despite his peaks/valleys—rare self-awareness helping his replacement. No heavyweight champ mentor for young Jones. Jones advises showing real self via UFC Embedded—everyone does same basics, just varying money/status. Live happy/healthy.
Acquire info, sort challenges. Excellence brings money/fame—chasing fame/money loses way (houses, cars). Attention has finite value, like $100 budget: distractions (haters, crazy girlfriend, toxic friends) rob focus from excellence. Some builds resilience, but protect focus/time/energy—it's everything. Recalls Pride fighter with crazy girlfriend who stole his drive.
A Pride fighter had a girlfriend who caused problems the day before fights, starting fights, leaving the hotel at 1:00 AM to the bar. She wanted him to fail to prioritize her over his career. He never became champion despite talent. > There are people in your life you got to recognize when you're dealing with that kind of a person. You got to recognize that. You got to cut them out. You got to get rid of them. They're stealing from your focus. They're stealing from your ability to create excellence. > You're in the business of excellence. Anybody trying to steal from that is a liability, like a hole in the bottom of your boat that needs patching.
Once you're favored by God, you're also favored by the devil. Temptations come, and you start believing your own shit.
Jon Jones example: when not training, still dominated division; readjustment sufficed. Nearly lost to Dominic Reyes, but Reyes should not have been beating him. Focused Jon Jones would destroy Reyes. Jones is best corner man because he's made all mistakes yet became GOAT. > Who better to tell you how to do it right? > Probably the greatest by far.
Gable unwinds with Call of Duty Warzone, NBA 2K (Ronnie 2K; has custom player with real name displayed). Takes care of French Bulldogs.
Gable had two French Bulldogs pass from IVDD (intervertebral disc disease, common due to poor breeding). First paralyzed instantly from back IVDD while playing, had to be put down. Adopted Archie a year ago; had neck IVDD, on painkillers six months, yelped after rolling wrong, put down weeks ago.
Joe has golden retriever and 7-month-old King Charles Spaniel born with hernia (surgery today). Loves dogs intensely; fears losing them. Dogs are little love devices, always happy, never bad moods.
You're going to be amazed how much you love your real baby more than you love your dogs. There's just another level.
Wish dogs lived longer like cats (20 years). Startups working on animal longevity via medical interventions. Some clone dogs (Tom Brady did). > That's pet cemetery shit. > Every dog has unique personality; prefer new dogs over clones.
Carl is psycho with multiple personalities, bowling ball head, jacked, meat missile playing with gentle dogs. Some Frenchies need nose/esophagus surgery for breathing due to flat faces.
Love working dogs: German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Cane Corsos (loyal to one, don't listen). Mark Dellagrotte (Sityodtong Muay Thai, coached UFC fighters like Kenny Florian) had Cane Corso that bit his hand after years, put down. Dogs test owners; can't risk bites to kids, wife, mailman.
Pit bulls sweet in Joe's experience, but stories of attacks exist alongside cute videos. Some people/dogs born crazy.
Gable's dad die-hard conspiracist. Gable believes much unknown, lots of mess. Many conspiracies real, leading people to entertain crazy ones. US history examples: Gulf of Tonkin incident (fake North Vietnamese attack/false flag to justify Vietnam invasion); many died for nothing, money/drugs involved (heroin trade). Afghanistan: 94% world heroin from there, production ramped up post-invasion; US guarded poppy fields for Taliban intel.
High-level dirty people involved in drug trade for money, risking lives. Geraldo Rivera video of military guarding poppy fields on Fox News.
Australian story (actually USC quarterback): sold drugs for Tijuana cartel from apartment, made $1M/day cash, laundered via Vegas casinos; middleman botched bet, loaned from undercover who caught him at McDonald's en route to Tijuana. Called "Cocaine Quarterback" or "Signal Caller for the Cartel."
Drug money tempts: 10x returns via offshore accounts. Excitement of naughty life; DEA agents become dealers. Narcos Mexico, Cocaine Cowboys documentaries. Cocaine Cowboys: 1980s Miami corruption; one police academy class all murdered or jailed from dealing. Everyone lived large amid cocaine influx.
US blowing up Ecuadorian/Venezuelan ships with drugs. Trump hates drugs poisoning kids (100,000 annual overdose deaths). Overdose deaths dropped sharply from 2024-2025 under Trump (peak 2022-2023/2024). Blowing up boats carrying fentanyl-tainted drugs (fake Xanax/coke kills with penny-sized amount).
Ed Calderon (ex-Mexican military, cartel expert on podcast): cartels run military operations, war each other. Pablo Escobar likely hid money in walls/houses; pilots buried millions in backyards (Cocaine Cowboys). Miami built by cocaine: most banks per capita for laundering; all-night affair.
Miami not good for low-key disciplined fighter life. >
Jon Jones navigated party scenes better than most, still GOAT despite missteps. Has outlets: trains dog, tactical shooting/guns. Need releases outside partying.
Jones keeps Gable on straight path, never pushes partying/drugs despite environments. Sees Gable's potential as young fighter. Easy to get hooked imitating party atmospheres.
People imitate their atmosphere. Being around certain people leads to seeking those thrills. Fighters often get caught up in women and partying, the bane of every fighter's existence.
Joe Rogan notes Gable's coach always says, "Stay clean. Go home." That's been the best part.
Gable is waiting for his baby girl to be born before pursuing fights. January is a dead month for him. He has not signed with the UFC or anyone else. They've reached out multiple times and offered dates, but nothing specific.
Joe advises that with Gable's talent, he could win two UFC fights and face a top contender. As a manager, he'd emulate Cus D'Amato with Mike Tyson: fight in small organizations like dirty boxing and other MMA promotions to build skills, gain experience, train constantly, and enter the UFC as essentially the champion, just unknown.
Ideal Debut Plan
Gable wants to debut at a White House event after one or two more fights, then sign with a big release and debut there in his perfect world.
Fights are a little hard to get right now. Gable leaves it to John and coaches to scout. If a guy says no, no hard feelings—keep pushing to find one who says yes.
Hype makes opponents hesitant: even good fighters think, "I'm not ready for this guy yet. He's on another level."
"Whenever you think you are ready, I will be there waiting."
Joe calls that terrifying. Smart opponents might fight him now before he gets better. Gable says pick your poison—his dirty boxing and November double leg takedown were his worst, a refresher for the world that that's the worst Gable Steveson will ever be. After his next fight, that's the last worst he'll be.
Gable wants to become UFC champion, beat Stipe's record of five defenses, or die trying. He's played in the NFL, won the Olympics, and wants to be an overall good man—excellent, not obsessed with success or money.
"Let your last name be the reason that people remember you."
He wants the Steveson name remembered: through peaks and valleys, Gable stood up, became someone, provided for his family, went home healthy. Championships will come if he's the best version of himself—no one can beat that.
Joe encourages keeping that mindset to accomplish these things. They exchange appreciations, and Joe expresses excitement for Gable's UFC fights.
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